The federal government has inaugurated the Ministerial Committee on the development of the phytomedicine value chain.
This initiative is to harness vast biodiversity and the traditional use of medicinal plants and natural medicine to treat and manage various ailments.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Ministerial Committee on the Development of Phytomedicine Value Chain, Tuesday in Abuja, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said it is envisaged that the commercialisation of the phytomedicine value chain will provide jobs in the area of conservation, cultivation and harvesting of medicinal plants; and the production of herbal medicinal products locally at the industrial scale.
He added that it will ensure Nigeria’s participation in the fast-growing global market for herbal medicinal products and its contribution to our national economy.
He said the establishment of this ministerial committee is a strategic step towards realising a sustainable and globally competitive phytomedicine industry in Nigeria.